ne of the major centres of music in Sindh is Sehwan. During the urs, hundreds of thousands of devotees throng to the mazar of Shahbaz Qalandar, either directly or indirectly participating in the music and dance activities exemplified by the naubat and dhammal.

Naubat is played at the shrine, either solo or collectively. Tracing its origins is difficult, but it is widely believed to have been performed since the time of Shahbaz Qalandar himself. It is played twice every twenty-four hours – at dusk and dawn. On both occasions, it is accompanied by dhammal. Many believe that dhammal also originated with Shahbaz Qalandar, a tradition that has continued to this day. It is a dance performed to the rhythmic variations of the naubat and is perhaps the most artistic way of losing one’s identity and merging with a collective, greater whole. The experience induces a state of trance, dissolving the distinction between self and other.

It is also said that dhammal was originally associated with a designated group responsible for maintaining the shrine, primarily carrying out menial duties such as cleaning and upkeep. This group participated fervently in dhammal, particularly during the annual urs. Syed Haji Fateh Ali Sabswari, a custodian of the shrine, is mentioned as having formally organised it as an institution. According to Dr Ghulam Hussain Haider Sindhi, Fakir Nadir Ali Shah Pathan also played a significant role in its development.

What do we truly know about Shahbaz Qalandar? He was a Jelali Fakir, and according to Richard Burton, Jelali Fakirs were generally poor, living hand to mouth, in contrast to the Jemali Sufis of Sindh, who were a more respectable class. The Jelali Fakirs openly disregarded the formalities of religious worship.

In an era of rapid social change, where oral traditions are fading, it is crucial to document and preserve these legacies before they are lost.

From the Thirteenth Century onwards, Sindh saw a great influx of learned and religiously inclined men from the heart of the Muslim world. Lal Shahbaz, who arrived with several companions – some of whom later gained prominence elsewhere in India – was among them. This was a period when Islam was expanding territorially. The efforts of Muslim scholastics had helped stabilise religious doctrines, and Persianised Central Asian influences had softened the austerity of Islamic practice.

According to Athar Abbas Rizvi, the establishment of the Sufi khanqah coincided with the penetration of the Qalandariyya movement, which was divided into several branches, such as the Hyderis and Jawalqis. These groups were deeply devoted to music and expressed their love for Ali and the Ahle Bait through song. HT Sorley similarly acknowledges the presence of highly cultured and philosophical Sufis, though he concedes that little reliable information exists about them. He notes that one of the earliest and best-known figures was Sayid Usman Shah Marwandi – later renowned as Lal Shahbaz – who became widely venerated at his popular shrine in Sehwan.

One of the largest congregations of musicians gathers during the urs of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar. He remains a favourite among musicians, with his kalaam sung throughout Sindh and Balochistan. Despite the prominence of his verses in urs celebrations and other musical performances, little is known about his personal contribution to music. Like most musical traditions, the most detailed and authentic knowledge about him survives through oral transmission.

In an era of rapid social change, where oral traditions are fading, it is crucial to document and preserve these legacies before they are lost.

The writer is a culture critic based in Lahore